Resealable closure for bottles and other containers

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns a resealable closure for bottles and other containers, the closure including a cap engaging around the mouth portion of the container, and an external safety or reinforcing element engaging around the cap and provided with an inner locking means engaging about the outside of the cap, the locking means preventing withdrawal of the outer element from the cap by pulling but permitting said element to be pushed onto the cap. According to the invention the outer element consists of a capsule provided with an inner thread or helically shaped outwardly projecting edge of asymmetric profile, said thread or edge forming said locking means. The cap may present one or more break pins adapted to pass into a corresponding groove in the opening edge of the capsule.

O United States Patent 1151 3,704,819

Lindstrom 1 Dec. 5, 1972 I541 RESEALABLE CLOSURE FOR 3,227,332 1/1966 Gowdy et al ..222/563 x BOTTLES AND OTHER CONTAINERS 3,454,196 7/1969 Hazard ..222/541 x 3,455,478 7/1969 Fields et al. ..2l5/42 X [72] gg g g g figg 'gs 'za g 3,463,341 8/1969 Fields ..215/42 3,480,172 11/1969 Shine ..21s/46 [22] Filed: March 28, 1969 [2]] APPL No; 811,417 Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-Norman L. Stack, Jr. Attorney-Cushman, Darby & Cushman [30] Foreign Application Priority Data April 10, 1968 Sweden ..4908/68 [57] ABSTRACT Oct. 3 l i968 Sweden ..l4790/68 The invention concerns a resealable closure for homes and other containers, the closure including a cap en- [52] US. Cl ..222/546, 222/570 gaging around the mouth portion of the container and [51] Int. Cl. ..B65d 41/16 an external safety of reinforcing element engaging [58] meld Search 222/541 around the cap and provided with an inner locking 222/563 means engaging about the outside of the cap, the

locking means preventing withdrawal of the outer elel56] References Cited ment from the cap by pulling but permitting said ele- UNITED STATES PATENTS ment to be pushed OHIO the cap According IO 1'16 invention the outer element consists of a capsule pro- 3,209,963 KIIBPS 813' X vided an inner thread or helically shaped out- 2,373,444 4/1945 Azpiazu ..222/390 dl j ti g edge of asymmetric profile, said 2,834,52l 5/l958 N yden ..222/570 X thread or edge forming d locking means The cap 2,895,654 7 1959 RlGkC ..222/562 x may present one or more break pins adapted to pass 3,l24,28l 3/ I964 Stull ..222/562 X into a col-responding groove in the opening edge of 3,206,055 9/1965 Helbling ..2l5/46 the capsule 3,223,298 12/1965 Roberson et al ..222/562 X 3,374,9l3 3/1968 Zipper ..215/42 X 3 Claims, 14 Drawing Figures RESEALABLE CLOSURE FOR BOTTLES AND OTHER CONTAINERS The present invention is concerned with a resealable closure for bottles and other containers, the closure including a cap engaging around the mouth of the container, and an external safety or reinforcing element engaging about the cap, said element having an inner locking means which engages the outside of the cap and which prevents the outer element from being pulled from the cap but permits said element to be pressed onto said cap.

Such a closure is known in which the safety or reinforcing element consists of a ring presenting an obliquely inwardly and upwardly directed sharp edge or row of teeth to obtain the locking effect. This ring is thus only intended for use when capping the container, and cannot be used subsequent to opening the container to exert a sealing pressure against the same.

The object of the present invention is to provide a resealable closure in which the safety or reinforcing element can also be used after the container has been opened.

This is realized by constructing the outer element of a capsule provided with an inner thread or helically formed outwardly projecting edge of asymmetric profile, the thread or edge fonning said locking means. At least when sealing the container for the first time, the capsule can be pressed down over the cap to press said cap sealingly about the mouth of the container. When the container is to be opened, the capsule is simply unscrewed, whereupon the cap can be removed. It is of course a great advantage, particularly in connection with bottles containing an aerated beverage, i.e., beverage containing carbon dioxide, that an absolute seal is always obtained when rescaling the container.

In one embodiment of the closure according to the invention the opening edge of the cap may be provided with a tongue directed away from the bottom of the cap. The cap can be prevented from rotating with the capsule when unscrewing the latter by pressing down the tongue, using the thumb for example, against the neck of the bottle or the like. This can be achieved in another embodiment in which to such ends the cap is provided with an inner projection adapted to pass into a groove disposed in the mouth portion of the container. If arranged to extend radially, the groove can facilitate pouring from the container.

To prevent premature, inadvertent or unauthorized removal of the capsule, the cap or its associated tongue may be provided with an outwardly projecting break pin adapted to pass into a groove disposed in the opening edge of the capsule. Thus it is necessary to exert a certain torsional force to the capsule in order to break the pin.

The capsule consists suitably of a hard material such as metal, hard plastic or the like, and the cap of a soft material such as rubber, soft plastic or the like.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which FIG. 1 shows a view, partially in section, of a resealable closure,

FIG. la shows a view turned 90 in relation to the view of FIG. 1,

FIG. 2 shows a view similar to FIG. 1 of one embodiment of the closure of FIG. 1,

FIG. 2a shows a view turned in relation to the view of FIG. 2,

FIG. 3 shows in section another embodiment of the closure,

FIG. 3a shows a view turned 90 in relation to the view of FIG. 3,

FIGS. 4 and 5 show in section enlarged views of one element of the remaining Figures,

FIGS. 6 and 7 show additional embodiments,

FIG. 8 shown partly in section a resealable closure applied to the mouth of a tube or the like,

FIG. 9 shows a section through a similar closure but without the tube,

FIG. 10 shows another resealable closure positioned on a tube or the like, and

FIG. 11 shows a view of a cap provided with a break pm.

In FIG. 1 there is shown a bottle neck 2 provided with a lip 4 at the mouth of said bottle. A resealable closure applied to the mouth portion of the neck of the bottle is generally indicated at 6. The closure 6 includes an outer capsule 8 and an inner snap-on cap 10 which engages the lip 4. The capsule 8 is provided with an inner thread or helically-shaped edge 12 of asymmetric profile. This profile is so adapted that it permits the capsule 8 to be applied direct to the snap-on cap 10 to the position shown in FIG. 1. Contrariwise, the profile will not permit the capsule 8 to be pulled from the mouth of the bottle, but that as a result of the construction of the profile, the capsule must be unscrewed when the closure is to be removed. Examples of suitable thread profiles are shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. A tongue 14, preferably made integral with the snap-on cap 10, extends from the lower opening edge of the snap-on cap down along the neck 2 of the bottle. The purpose of the tongue 14 is to facilitate unscrewing of the capsule 8 while preventing the snap-on cap 10 from merely sliding around the lip 4. Thus, the tongue 14 can be pressed by means of the thumb against the neck of the bottle while the capsule is unscrewed with the other hand. The construction of the tongue 14 is shown in front view in FIG. la.

In the following Figures those parts similar or acting similarly to those shown in FIGS. 1, la are given the same reference numerals.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 the tongue 14 is of slightly different construction than that shown in FIG. I, and is adapted to cooperate with a shoulder 16 attached to the neck 2 of the bottle to prevent rotation of the snap-on cap 10 when the capsule 8 is unscrewed. The tongue 14 is provided with an outwardly projecting break pin 18 which is moved into a groove 20 when the capsule 8 is pressed over the snap-on cap 10, said groove being disposed in the capsule 8 from its opening edge. When opening the closure, the break pin 18 is broken when the tongue 14 comes into contact with the shoulder 16 on the neck of the bottle. Thus, unauthorized opening of the container is readily noticeable. In the closure illustrated in FIG. 3 the cap 10 has no tongue which corresponds to the tongue 14 of the previous Figure. In this embodiment the tongue has been replaced by a projection 22 which projects outwardly from the interior of the cap and which is preferably fiat in shape, the projection 22 being moved into a groove disposed radially in the mouth portion of the bottle when the snap-on cap is placed in position thereon as indicated in the Figure. This arrangement will thus have the same function as the tongue 14 and the projection 16, i.e., to prevent rotation of the cap when the capsule 8 is to be unscrewed. Another manner in which the same effect can be achieved is to provide the portion of the container lying within the cap with small pointed members 28, indicated in FIGS. 6 and 7, which penetrate the material of the cap 10. The groove disposed in the mouth portion of the bottle also facilitates pouring of the contents of the bottle. The cap 10 is provided with an outwardly projecting annular flange 23 which may optionally be wholly or partially perforated with axial grooves to facilitate compression of said flange when the capsule 8 is placed on the bottle. In the embodiment of FIG. 3 the capsule 8 is of slightly different construction than in the previous Figures. The thread 12 of said capsule namely extends only a short distance down into the capsule, the inside of the latter being terminated by a flat portion which extends to the bottom thereof. The bottom of the capsule 8 is provided with an annular projection 24 having substantially the construction shown in FIG. 3 and the outer side of which together with said flat portion of the capsule is intended to cooperate with the mouth portion of the bottle to seal the latter, wherewith the snap-on cap 10 can be disposed of after opening the closure. In the embodiment of FIG. 3 the capsule 8 is made of a resilient material.

A variation of the embodiment of FIG. 3 is shown in FIG. 6. When pouring liquids from bottles, especially liquids containing sugar, the liquid often tends to run down along the neck of the bottle. The simplest method of avoiding this inconvenience is to employ a pouring spout, of which many constructions are known.

These constructions, however, have rendered the problem of sealing and resealing in accordance with the invention more difflcult. The problem, however, can be solved by making the capsule 8 of sufflcient height and providing the cap 10 with a funnel-shaped opening 26 which is closed by causing the annular flange 22 to extend from the bottom of the capsule 8 into the mouth of the container to force a portion 26a of the funnelshaped member 26 directed into the mouth of the bottle against the inside thereof to obtain a tight seal. The funnel 26 terminates at the top in a pointed edge. In this embodiment the cap 10 may be left constantly in position on the container. Both the cap and the capsule can be made of relatively hard or semihard material, suitably polypropylene, or HD-ethylene high density plastic. This is an advantage since these materials may be heat'sterilized. This is not usually true of soft materials which simultaneously present good chemical resistance. It will be seen from FIG. 6 that space is available to provide the cap 10, if so desired, with a special pouring spout of known construction, e.g. a spout which facilitates the counting of drops. Because the cap 10 in this embodiment need not be removable, it can be caused to encircle a very large portion of the lip of the mouth of the bottle, which increases the sealing effect. So that sealing can be effected fully automatically, the capsule 8 is provided with a plurality of grooves and the cap 10 with a number of pins 18. This means that the capsule 8 need not be turned to a specific position relative to the cap 10 when capping the container. Not

all of the pins 18 will be sheared or broken when capping the container, irrespective of how the capsule 8 meets the cap 10. It is sufficient that only one pin remains whole in order to show that the seal has not been broken by unauthorized persons. Furthermore, in the embodiment of FIG. 6 it is only necessary that the outermost edge of the flange 23 cooperates with thread of the capsule 8, while the remaining portion of the cap 10 may be threadless.

FIG. 7 shows a closure intended for a tablet box or tin. The essential difference between this closure and those previously described is that the cap 10 is provided in this instance with a recess 30, which serves to store the daily requirement of tablets or pills. In this embodiment the capsule 8 serves as a seal for the space between itself and the cap 10 and the contents of the tin or box. Instead of one single recess, a plurality of recesses can be arranged according to requirements, and the recess can be provided with alphabetic or numerical designations, disclosing for instance hours, days of the week or even longer periods.

It may be generally mentioned regarding the material from which the two parts of the closure are made that the capsule is preferably made of metal, hard plastic such as polypropylene, or other appropriate materials. The snap-on cap is preferably made of soft plastic such as polyethylene, rubber or the like.

The closure of the invention may cooperate with containers made of a plurality of materials such as glass, plastic, metal etc. and a plurality of constructions as indicated in the Figures.

The bottom of the capsule 8 need not, in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, necessarily lie against the upper side of the cap 10. The cap 10 may also be provided with a thread intended to cooperate with the thread of the capsule, although the cap is preferably made of a soft material into which the material of the capsule can penetrate.

The closures of FIGS. 1 and 2 are also primarily intended for aerated beverages but may of course also be used for tablet boxes or tins etc. The closure of FIG. 2 is primarily intended for liquid medicaments. The advantages presented by the closure of the invention reside primarily in that it is easy to reseal and can resist high gauge pressures or sub-pressures.

The closure according to the invention can be used to advantage in tubular containers for adhesives, toothpaste and the like, whereby the cap may taper down outwardly from the opening portion of the tube and present at its outer end an opening with which an inner pin projecting outwardly from the bottom of the capsule and also tapering down outwardly is intended to cooperate to effect a seal. The cap thus replaces the spout or similar feature of the tube which is of great advantage since the material from which the spout of the cap is made can be selected irrespective of the material of the tube, and is preferably softer than this material and also the material from which the capsule is made. In this way a better seal is obtained than hitherto realized in tube seals, since the cap can be said to form a soft and resilient sealing element between the capsule and the tube in general. When the capsule is screwed onto the container, the aforementioned outer end of the cap can hereby be pressed in between the pin and the inner wall of the capsule. The capsule and/or the cap may taper in the form of a cone.

According to what has been stated above to prevent premature, inadvertent or unauthorized unscrewing of the capsule, the cap may be provided with a break pin projecting outwardly from the outside thereof and adapted to pass into a groove disposed in the opening edge of the capsule. Thus a definite torsional movement is required in order to break the pin. In accordance with a preferred embodiment the break pin need only be attached to the cap by means of a thin bridging member. This bridging member suitably connects the center portion of the pin with an outwardly projecting edge or the like of the cap.

In FIG. 8 there is shown the mouth portion of a tube or similar container 2 provided with a lip 4 extending around said mouth portion. A resealable closure applied to the mouth portion is generally indicated at 6. The closure 6 includes an outer conically tapering cap 8 and an inner, also conically tapering sealing member which engages around the lip 4. The cap 8 is provided with an internal thread or helically-shaped edge 12 of asymmetric profile This profile as shown in FIG. 5 is so constructed that it permits the cap 8 to pressed direct onto the flange 23 of sealing member 10 to the position shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 8. In counterdistinction, the interlocking of the profiles of cap 8 and of flange 23 as shown in FIG. 5 and 9 does not permit the cap to be removed by pulling, but as a result of the shape of the profiles the cap must be unscrewed from the flange when the closure is to be opened. The reference numeral 23 identifies a collar flange of annular shape projecting outwardly from the sealing member 10 and which is perforated by axial grooves 23a to facilitate compression of the flange when the capsule 8 is applied. The thread 12 engages into the material of the flange 23 to obtain the aforedescribed effect. The grooves 23 a are more evident from the embodiment shown in FIG. 9. Both the flange 23 and its associated grooves 23a are only shown by way of example and the cap 10 need not be provided with such grooves. Positioned at the end of the cap 10 is an opening which sealingly cooperates with a peg 40 projecting out from the bottom of the cap, the wall of the sealing ring 10a when the cap 8 is applied being pressed in between the peg 40 and the inner wall of the capsule to obtain a good seal.

FIG. 9 shows a similar embodiment to FIG. 8, although of slightly different construction. When screwing or pressing the cap 8 onto the sealing member 10, the lower portion of the wall of the cap 8 will press the flange 23 inwardly as a result of the grooves 23a, so that the inner edge 23b is obtained, this edge terminating around a corresponding outer edge on the mouth portion of the tube or the like, whereby said mouth portion may be of an external configuration corresponding substantially to the shape presented by the inner wall of the sealing member 10 from the flange 23 and the substantially cylindrical portion 42, and the conically shaped portion 44. In this way there is obtained a particularly good seal between the mouth portion of the tube and the sealing member 10.

FIG. 10 illustrates a slightly different embodiment in which the cap tapers conically upwards while the sealing member tapers upwardly in increments and presents an opening 46 which sealingly cooperates with the peg 40 of the cap 8. The closure 6 is intended to be used for an adhesive container 2. Arranged on the sealing member 10 are known members such as a blade 48 for removing surplus adhesive and arranged adjacent the opening 46, and an annular flange 50 forming an annular space for collecting overflow adhesive.

In FIG. 11 there is shown a cap 10 of substantially the same type and having substantially the same function as the cap shown in FIG. 6. In contradistinction to the small break pins 18 in FIG. 6, the cap shown in FIG. 11 has a large break pin 18a which is attached to the cap 10 by solely a thin bridging member 52 at the edge of the flange 23. The pin 18a has the same function as the the pin 18 in the various embodiments above. The present arrangement, however, provides more positive rupture of the pin 18a when the capsule (not shown) is initially unscrewed from the cap 10. In the embodiments described above it is possible that the pin 18 instead of being sheared by the slot 20 only passes beneath the wall of the capsule. The pin 18a can also be used in the embodiments of FIGS. 8-10.

The lip 4 of FIG. 8 may be provided with teeth such as both 4a which may be adapted to engage in the soft plastic material of the cap. If the cap 10 is made of a harder plastic material, e.g., polypropylene, it may be provided with recesses corresponding to said teeth in the lip 4.

What I claim is:

1. A sealing closure for a container having a mouth which is enclosed by a lip comprising an elastically yielding sealing member extending at least partially around said lip and locking to said lip by elastic action, a collar flange extending from the lower edge of said sealing member and directed obliquely downwards away from said lip, the collar flange being threaded on the outside with threads having asymmetrical profiles, and a cap having an annular jacket which is threaded on its inside with threads having asymmetrical profiles to cooperate with the corresponding thread on said collar flange so that the threads prevent said cap from being pulled away from said sealing member but do not prevent the unscrewing of said cap from said sealing member, said collar flange having an outer diameter at its free lower edge which is greater than the inner diameter at the open end of said cap prior to compression of said collar by said cap and said collar flange being weakened by a number of axial grooves to facillitate a radial and uniform compression of said collar flange when said cap is pressed down over said collar flange, and at least one small projection from said lip along its surface against which the sealing member engages, said projection cooperating with said sealing member to prevent turning of said sealing member relative to the container when the cap is unscrewed, and an axial sealing ring extending from the engaging portion of said sealing member and forming an opening to the interior of said container, and a cylindrical sealing plug attached to the top end of said cap which is adapted to mate with said sealing ring when said cap is pressed upon said sealing member.

2. The sealing closure according to claim 1 in which said container is made of a material which is harder than the material comprising the sealing member and said projection has a pointed end.

3. The sealing closure according to claim 1, wherein said axial sealing ring forms a pouring spout to facillitate pouring from said container.

4 i III i 

1. A sealing closure for a container havIng a mouth which is enclosed by a lip comprising an elastically yielding sealing member extending at least partially around said lip and locking to said lip by elastic action, a collar flange extending from the lower edge of said sealing member and directed obliquely downwards away from said lip, the collar flange being threaded on the outside with threads having asymmetrical profiles, and a cap having an annular jacket which is threaded on its inside with threads having asymmetrical profiles to cooperate with the corresponding thread on said collar flange so that the threads prevent said cap from being pulled away from said sealing member but do not prevent the unscrewing of said cap from said sealing member, said collar flange having an outer diameter at its free lower edge which is greater than the inner diameter at the open end of said cap prior to compression of said collar by said cap and said collar flange being weakened by a number of axial grooves to facillitate a radial and uniform compression of said collar flange when said cap is pressed down over said collar flange, and at least one small projection from said lip along its surface against which the sealing member engages, said projection cooperating with said sealing member to prevent turning of said sealing member relative to the container when the cap is unscrewed, and an axial sealing ring extending from the engaging portion of said sealing member and forming an opening to the interior of said container, and a cylindrical sealing plug attached to the top end of said cap which is adapted to mate with said sealing ring when said cap is pressed upon said sealing member.
 2. The sealing closure according to claim 1 in which said container is made of a material which is harder than the material comprising the sealing member and said projection has a pointed end.
 3. The sealing closure according to claim 1, wherein said axial sealing ring forms a pouring spout to facillitate pouring from said container. 